Friend A
by Amelia Bennet
Summary: Miyazono Kaori carries her lies like a shield but they serve as a reminder to the truth she desperately wants to reveal.


Authors Note: This takes place before the Nagi/Kousei finale. Decided to write something for this fandom. go easy on me .

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Colours upon colours came into her view. It looked as if there were a storm of flowers swirling around her effortlessly. She was not well versed in flowers but she swore that she saw roses, violets and sunflowers dancing on the ball room floor. Almost as if the wind guided each and every step that they made, everything was so synchronized and here she was gazing longingly at the garden of flowers.

As if the goddess of the wind herself, Shinatsuhiko had heard her. A great wind pushed her forward onto the large ball room floor. Giggles echoed in her mind and for a moment she could hear the whisper of the crafty goddess herself.

_Silly Cherry Blossom! Don't you know that it is you who dances best with the wind?_

The room became silent and the beautifully dressed women began to make their way back to the sidelines, leaving the floor empty. Miyazono Kaori felt their eyes on her as she stood in the middle.

Why in the world was everyone staring at her? Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and just as she was about to storm off. She heard it…

The orchestra begun to play again, the song that they were playing was so familiar but the name lay at the tip of her tongue. Just as she was about to guess the name, a gentle hand took hold of her and twirled her around.

Dark blue eyes greeted her.

"Kousei."

He simply smiled at her and pulled her closer. The intricate dance steps were gone as they slow danced together. She was silent and for a moment she wished that the song would last forever.

"Kousei," this was her chance to tell him about the lie.

A flash of white light suddenly blinded her, a jolt rushed through her body. The ballroom was gone and Kaori now stared at the familiar white ceiling.

The hospital.

She was back in her hospital bed.

"It was just a dream," she whispers to no one in particular. She sits up and rubs her forehead in annoyance. This was not the first time she has had this dream, every night she dreams of dancing with him. She glances at the book that lay forgotten on the bed sheets.

She reaches for it and brings it to her lap. She flips to the back of the book and reads the familiar characters.

Arima Kousei.

She smiles at the sight of his name. A small giggle escapes her lips as she imagines him concentrating on reading the book. It's probably the same face he makes when he's practicing a piece for the first time.

There's some shuffling outside her door before it slides open and for a moment she holds her breath hoping that it's that jerk. That he would visit her with some Canelés in hand.

It's not him. The breath that she had been holding escapes from her.

The smiling face of Watari greets her this time. He seats himself next to her and starts talking about everything that she's missed at school.

She greets him with a smile and she can't help but appreciate his handsome face when he walks in. No wonder many girls have fallen for him; there is something dangerous and daring about him. Perhaps, it also has something to do with the fact that he's captain of the football team.

Kaori smiles politely and laughs at each one of his jokes but her mind can't help but wander from the handsome captain to the shy pianist, who always tries to blend into the background. She tries desperately to recall how it felt to have Kousei hold her and how for a moment she was flying with the guidance of the wind instead of being confined to her hospital bed.

"Kao-chan, you wanted to see Kousei instead of me right?"

For a moment she doesn't hear what Watari says. She's too busy dancing in her dreams again.

Wait what did Watari just say?!

Her eyes focus sharply at him and she sees that Watari is leaning on her bed, his head resting on his palm. His amber eyes waiting for an answer. There is something about his eyes that frighten her, as if he could read her thoughts.

She tries to hide her surprise from him and responds in heartbeat.

"Watari of course I wanted to see you!" she smiles at him. Her heart isn't fluttering but she is sincere when she replies to him. Watari is important to her.

He stands up and sits on the bed with her. The flirtatious smile that he usually has is gone; instead a thoughtful expression has replaced it. He can see through her act and she prepares herself for the worst.

"Kaori, it's okay." He takes the book that she had been gripping tightly in her hands. Her hands let go and the urge to snatch the book back comes over her but she controls her nerves and settles for berating herself.

She scolds herself for unconsciously holding the book in a death grip and she glares at her shaking hands, urging them to stop.

She sees Watari's hand close around hers. There is something firm about his hold, almost as if he's trying to shake her fears away. She finally brings herself to look up and she sees that Watari is smiling again.

"A lot of people underestimate me because I'm a jock," he says slowly. Kaori opens her mouth to protest but he holds his hand up to stop her from continuing.

"Tsubaki always calls me a flirt and player, which in a sense is true. But I see and understand more than people realize."

Kaori closes her eye, waiting for Watari to scream and curse at her, to yell at her for stringing him along. She's terrified to open her eyes and see the person that she has hurt in the process. Instead she feels his hand give her a reassuring squeeze.

"I've known since day one that you've loved him." Kaori's eyes snap open in surprise; her mouth closes and opens in astonishment.

"Kaori, I know you see Tsubaki's feelings but you should still be brave enough to stand up for yourself!"

Watari's hands give her hand another reassuring squeeze. She can't find the words to explain everything to him. Where should she begin? How could she tell him?

Kousei the boy she always dreamed of having a duet with. How her decision to learn the violin was because of him?

Kousei who always has his best friend Tsubaki standing by his side. How could she ever have the courage to try and compete with her?

Kousei the boy she loved. How could she love him when she knew that she would have to leave him?

She feels it again, the stinging in the back of her eyes, her nose has that sharp tingly feeling again. Her hands let go of Watari's and she covers her face in shame because her lie has finally caught up to her.

How can she possibly admit that despite Watari's constant visits, it's Kousei that she waits for; which is stupid because she knows that she has given him the title of "Friend A". The supporting cast member for the hero and the heroine.

Her tears slide down her cheeks, her hands unable to cover them completely. She feels the lump in her throat grow as hot tears continue to fall. Her chest feels tight as she tries her best to hold the scream inside of her.

She feels Watari shift closer to her and soon she finds herself being held tightly in his arms. His hand rubs circles around her back, trying to calm her down.

"Kaori, I want you to know that you haven't hurt me but I think you should just tell Kousei the truth."

She pulls away from Watari's arms and looks at him.

It takes Watari a moment to register the expression on Kaori's face. How vacant her blue eyes are, almost as if the colour has faded away. It breaks his heart to see her so defeated when all his memories of her are so bright.

"I dream of him every night and that's all I can ever do Watari. Because I don't have much time left…"

Her words shatter him because he can't find it in his heart to accept her explanation. Not from her, not when she had so much life before. Not when she could create a storm with her violin at a whim. He needs an explanation, a story to make everything make sense.

She obliges him and tells him the story from when she was a child. Her voice is soft and dreamlike as she retells her tale.

At the end of her story she gazes out the window, the green leafs of summer have turn red. She wants to pretend again, to just press the reset button and forget about everything. She looks back at Watari and smiles.

"So what did I miss from school again?"

He smiles and picks up on her hint quickly; they fall into the same pattern as before. Watari smiles at her and tells her about all of the gossip happening in school. This time her mind doesn't wander and she finally sees Watari for who he is.

The closest thing she has to her own best friend.

She smiles and asks him questions about everything in his life. She wants to know all about him and before she knows it the nurse comes in to tell him that visiting hours are over. Watari stands up and places a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Get better soon Kao-chan, we all miss you in school." He says to her in hopeful voice.

"I will." She whispers to him, because the only thing she can give him is hope. He steps back and walks towards the door, just as he's about to leave he says something that surprises her.

"Kaori, I'll keep pretending that I'm the hero instead of Friend A."

"Thank you." She says to him because she knows he doesn't want to lie. She knows that he wants to push Kousei to his rightful role. But in the end she's grateful that she gets to keep her secret.

He smiles and waves goodbye before stepping out.

The door finally closes.

The sun begins to set and soon her mind is on autumn leafs again. Most of them have fallen on the ground and soon the frost will set in.

I wonder if I'll see the cherry blossoms again.

When the last ray of sunlight disappears, the stars begin to find their place in the sky. She smiles at the memory of the song they sang together.

_Twinkle, Twinkle, little star,  
How I wonder what you are.  
Then the traveler in the dark,  
Thanks you for your tiny spark;  
He could not see which way to go,  
If you did not twinkle so._

She smiles at the stars and hopes that they will always guide him. She closes her eyes for a moment and feels the events of the day weigh on her. Watari would help her lie even though he knows it will continue to push Kousei away from her. Even though he knew it would just continue to hurt her. She glances up at the stars once more and remembers the song in her dream. It had been Love's Joy, an impossible dream with the perfect song.

"Arima Kousei, I love you." She whispers to the stars hoping that somehow he would hear her.

-Fin.

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How did you guys like it? I'm thinking of doing a few one-shots about Kaori and possibly fleshing out more and Watari. Tell me what you think!


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